Traction-engine.



No. 762,360. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

E. W. STONE.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 12.1903 N0 MODEL.

Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR WV. STONE, OF KIRK, MICHIGAN.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 762,360, dated June 14;, 1904. Application filed $eptember l2,'l9O3- Serial No. 172,935. (No model.)

'10 (ML whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR WV..STONE, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Kirk, in the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Traction- Engine, of which the following is a specification. t i

My improvement relates to traction engines, and especially tothe means used in imparting positive movement to the engine with reference to surrounding objects and to the means employed for stopping and starting the said engine. 7 a

My invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter shown and described, "particularly pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my engine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the engine. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the method of mounting two of the intermeshing gears.

In constructing an engine of the kindshown I utilize a boiler, fire-box, and cab of any suitable form or make, which parts are mounted on suitable broad-tired wheels A. rear or drive wheels are rigid on their axle A and this axle carries a gear-wheel B, arranged adjacent each of the drive-wheels. side of the engine are arranged cylinders (J, and above the boiler is arranged a steam-chest C. A steam-pipe C leads from this chest, dividing into two branches, one of'which leads to each of the cylinders. A suitable throttle or other valve is arranged in this pipe, to the stem of which is attached a curved lever, and a suitable rod (J is connected at one end to the free end of this lever, the opposite end of the rod extending into the cab and adapted to be grasped by the engineer.

A shaft D is mounted on and transverse to the engine-frame between the drive-wheels and the cylinders, and on each end of this shaft is arranged a gear-wheel D. Pistons of any type are of course employed in the cylinders, and the piston-rods C are pivoted at their outer ends to cranks C, which in turn are connected to the gear-wheels D, the crank-rods being so arranged that when one is on a deadcenter the other will be ofi center. Adjacent Th c On each the boiler and carries fly-wheels F, rigid with the shaft, and also rigid on the shaft are gearwheels F each of which is adapted to intermesh with one of the gear-wheels E.

It is obvious, therefore, that the gear-wheels E are mounted between the gear-wheels B and F since they are adapted to mesh with both; but the gear-wheels E are of such size and so arranged that they will mesh with the gear-wheels B only when out of engagement with the gear-wheels F the gear-wheels E being brought into engagement with either 'of the other sets of gear-wheels by swinging the arm D which carries the gears E. To

swing these arms, a shaft G is journaled on the boiler and at eachend carries an eccentric G, which is engaged by the .eccentric strap Di Intermediate-its ends the shaft G has a curved rock-lever H'rigidly secured on it, and

to the free end of this lever is secured an end of therod H, the other end extending to the engine-cab.

The operation of my engine is as follows: Admittance of steam to the cylinders from the steam-chest is regulated by means of the rod (1* and the valve operated by said rod and located in the steam-pipe. By opening the valve steam will be admitted to the cylinders and the gear D driven by the pitman and in turn driving the gear-wheel E, the wheel E being so journaled that in any position of the arm D -the wheel E will be in engagement with the.gearwhcel D. When the rod H is forced forward, as shown in Fig. 1,thc gear wheel E will be in engagement with the gearwheels .1) and F and the engine be stationary with reference to forward or rearward movement; but by drawing the rod H rearward the eccentrics G will be actuated and the arm D swung so that the gear-wheelsE will be in engagement with the gears B, imparting motionto the drive-wheels. Any suitable valve mechanism can be employed for reversing the engine, and the details of construction of the valves, cylinders, &c., are not parts of my invention, and no special form of valve or cylinder is claimed.

Having fully described my improvements, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a traction engine, the combination with a pitman, of a gear-wheel adapted to be driven by said pitman, an axle having drivewheels rigidly mounted thereon, a gear-wheel rigidly mounted on said axle, a movable arm carrying an eccentric-strap, a gear-wheel carried by the said arm and adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel carried by the axle, a shaft carrying an eccentric engaging said strap, a lever adapted to rock said shaft, and throw the gear carried by the movable arm into engagement with the gear carried by the axle, the said gear being also in engagement with the gear-wheel driven by the pitman.

2. An engine of the kind described comprising a reciprocating pitman on each side, a rotatable axle, drive-wheels carried by and rigid with the axle, gear-wheels fixed on said axle adjacent the drive-wheels, a shaft journaled transversely between the pitmen and the drivewheels, gear-wheels carried at the ends of said shaft, each pitman being connected to one of said gear-wheels carried by the shaft, aswinging arm loosely journaled on the shaft adjacent each of the gear-wheels, the upper portions of said arms being cranked, stub-shafts carried by said arms, gear-wheels on said stubshafts adapted to continuously mesh with the gear-wheels on the transverse shaft, and to be swung into engagement with the gear-wheels on the axle, an eccentric-strap carried by the upper end of each cranked portion of the arms, a rock-shaft, eccentrics arranged on said shaft and adapted to engage the straps, means for rocking the shaft, a transverse, rotatable shaft, fly-Wheels on said shaft, and gearwheels fixed on said last-mentioned shaft adapted to be engaged by the movable gears when thrown out of engagement with the gears carried by the axle.

EDGAR W. STONE. Witnesses:

MARY ANDRUS, C. L. ANDRUs. 

